This invention relates to a class of substituted ethyl oxanilates and to their use as herbicides. More specifically, this invention relates to N-(carbamoyl) ethyl oxanilates, which are represented by the formula ##STR3## wherein X and Y are independently selected from the group consisting of chloro, bromo and trifluoromethyl; n is either 0 or 1; m is either 0 or 1; and R and R.sub.1 are independently selected from the group consisting of lower alkyl from C.sub.1 to C.sub.3, inclusive, and lower alkoxy from C.sub.1 to C.sub.3, inclusive, or R and R.sub.1 taken together is selected from the group consisting of ##STR4##
Because of the N-(carbamoyl) substitution, the generic structure of the compound of this invention is similar to that of a tetra-substituted urea. An example of such a urea teaching a monocarbonyl radical bonded to a nitrogen atom which is also bonded to a halogenated phenyl radical is described in French Pat. No. 1,250,422. The compound of the present invention differs from that described in the above-mentioned patent in that it teaches the preparation and herbicidal use of a variety of oxanilates which, because of their characteristic adjacent pair of carbonyl groups, are beyond the scope of the above-mentioned patent.